Winnipeg country musician Sean Burns made a long awaited return to Lethbridge to play a two day date at Casino Lethbridge, Sept. 17 and 18. I caught their first set on Sept. 17.

 Grant Siemens played hot, twanging lead guitar, while Ryan “Skinny” Dyck added sighing steel guitar. Paul Holden and Tyler Bird held down the rhythm on bass and drums  respectively.

As usual, classic country music was the order of the night.

 Early on in Friday’s show, Burns dedicated “ Your Cheating Heart,” to Hank Williams in honour of Williams’  birthday.

They played plenty of classic country including Texas troubadour Ernest Tubb’s “ Drivin’ Nails in my Coffin.” which had the dance floor full of two-steppers and trucking songs like “ Freightliner Fever.”

 They also plays Porter Wagoner’s Carroll Country Accident, Some Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and even added Elvis Presley’s “ Little Sister,” for a little classic rock and roll, and allowed Siemens to take the spotlight.

Burns told a few brief stories about the songs, but mostly concentrated on keeping the dance floor full with upbeat, twangy, classic country music.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

After a year -long hiatus due to Covid 19, the ninth annual LEMF (Lethbridge Electronic Music Festival) is set to get you dancing all day long in Galt Gardens, Saturday, Sept. 25.

The free, family, friendly event features a Kidzone with a bouncy castle, beer gardens and a “chill tent” called the T Bird Lounge which is a tribute to Tanner Dietrich, who passed away last year, featuring her artwork. The Lethbridge Handmade Market will provide vendors.

 LEMF, which began with one stage back in 2012 and expanded to three stages, before they were forced to cancel last year’s event, is back to two stages this year featuring 26 DJs, mostly from Alberta.

Toronto Skratch Bastid and Saskatoon’s The Gaff headlines the Zodiac Stage at 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and 7 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. respectively. Calgary’s Woofax headlines the Luminosity stage in between those two from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.. The rest of the line-up is from Alberta. J DJ Funkhauser will be on at 1 p.m.

 The other performers are on stage for an hour. 

“The Zodiac stage is more house music and the Luminosity stage is more bass,” noted Lethbridge Electronic Music Festival president David Fritz, who is also on the bill as his alter-ego Marty Funkhauser.

He is excited to have watched the festival grow, and, more importantly, to have the festival back this year.

“Usually we’re in August, but we had to cancel last year. This year it‘s been moved up to September, which we may continue to do because the students are back at university,” Fritz said, noting most of the line-up originally scheduled to perform last year, will be performing this year.

“We kept all the contracts,” he said, adding he is also excited that the festival has a local flavour.

“We wanted to keep travel down plus, there is so much talent here that deserves to be supported,” he said. 

He is excited to welcome Skratch Bastid  back to Lethbridge.

Arts Days is the big this happening this week.

 But there is a lot more.

Tuesday is open mic night with the Owl Open mic happening at 7 p.m.

 If you think you’re funny, then show it at Good Times’ comedy open mic, which begins at 8 p.m.

Friday will be off the hook.

 Get your kilt out as the Edmonton Celtic Rock band the Derina Harvey Band return to the Slice on Friday.

 Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. The fun begins at 7 p.m.

The Canadian Brewhouse goes modern pop on Friday with the new Testaments and a variety of special guests including Danica Sommer and DJ lRev, LRev, Chris M and Max Hopkins also performing. The show begins at around 8:30 p.m. The New Testaments play contemporary pop and R and B music. Tickets are $10 including a bottle of beer.

 The Owl Acoustic Lounge features the Southern Exposure Tap Takeover this weekend.

 Friday features music by Biloxi Parish. Mud Bog and Night Terrors.

Saturday’s line up is alt country band Liquor Mountain and Muddier Bog. Admission is by donation for both.

If you want to dance, the ninth annual Lethbridge Electronic music Festival (LEMF) returns to   Galt Gardens, Saturday, Sept. 25 beginning at at 11 a.m.

 Due to Covid, there will be no after party at Club Lime as originally planned due to Covid and organizers wanted to focus on the main event..

 There will be a beer garden, sanitization stations and two stages.

It was punkday on Monday at the Owl Acoustic lounge, Monday, Sept. 13. It was pretty quiet for Quit it!’s first gig ever.

 While Mombod wasn’t on the bill as expected, Calgary band Quit It!, was ready to go, but waited for a crowd that never came.

Quit It! formed as an offshoot of the RiverJacks during the pandemic and released their debut eponymous 7 inch EP.

While they haven’t played together as Quit It! they have played for years  as the RiverJacks and that experience showed.

 They played a variety of songs including the songs from the EP as well as a few River Jacks songs and  obscure covers including a song from One Man Army.

 They played a short, fast, hyperactive set full of energy, lots of slashing guitar and gang vocals. The two guitarists and bassist took turns  shouting lead vocals.

 They bassist thrashed and leaped all over the stage.

  Their set was more raw, straight ahead punk than the Celtic inspired RiverJacks.

 They  were reminiscent of Irish punk pioneers Stiff Little Fingers.”

 The enthusiastic audience called them back for an encore so Quit It! quit it with a RiverJacks cover.

— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor